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Krusty · Apr 22, 2003, 04:34 AM

....

Fobie · Apr 22, 2003, 05:54 AM

I hope the owners of the previous 800MHz-iBook will get their old and defect combo-drives exchanged to the new one. I though I bought a 16x CD-RW burner, but all I got was 4x.

I'm calling Apple later today for some quality bitchin'.

Either they give me the new combo-drive or release a firmware patch fast.

MarkusYamamoto · Apr 22, 2003, 06:38 AM

At least Apple had the decency to put the ATI Radeon 7500 32Mb across the line with their iBooks.

I know this speed bump is pretty weak but, the entry iBook is a better deal now and since I have the 800 combo I don't think that my iBook is outdated yet so I don't feel that bad.

Bluetooth would have been nice or at least an internal option.
Airport Extreme would be be nice too but they need some things to be exclusive for the Powerbooks.

Markus

mgl · Apr 22, 2003, 07:13 AM

The last iBooks had the traditional construction materials for the 12" combo and 14" models. The base model had the cheaper white finish. Does anybody know what construction materials are used for the new iBook line?

Silencer · Apr 22, 2003, 07:23 AM

Is this the update we have been waiting for???? If so i'll be buying one in the next few days, but if there is another update comming up in less than 2 months i'll wait.

Cipher13 · Apr 22, 2003, 07:30 AM

Originally posted by Fobie:
I hope the owners of the previous 800MHz-iBook will get their old and defect combo-drives exchanged to the new one. I though I bought a 16x CD-RW burner, but all I got was 4x.

I'm calling Apple later today for some quality bitchin'.

Either they give me the new combo-drive or release a firmware patch fast.

Um, what?

pat++ · Apr 22, 2003, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by Silencer:
Is this the update we have been waiting for???? If so i'll be buying one in the next few days, but if there is another update comming up in less than 2 months i'll wait.

We won't see any update before october. They update products every 6 months.

rjenkinson · Apr 22, 2003, 08:12 AM

Originally posted by mgl:
The last iBooks had the traditional construction materials for the 12" combo and 14" models. The base model had the cheaper white finish. Does anybody know what construction materials are used for the new iBook line?

it looks like all the new models are opaque white in colour. see this thread by im_noahselby.

-r.

Superchicken · Apr 22, 2003, 08:16 AM

Man I was hoping to post it first! Oh well... I guess I'm waiting for the 12 inch PB to be reved... even if a 900Mhz G3 is nothing to be sneased at... I sneeze at this, they had 1Ghz G3s avalible and just decided not to ship em, yeah of the laptop yeah right.

This update blows chunks.

Fobie · Apr 22, 2003, 08:27 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Um, what?

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=149948

http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]

And about a billion other threads..

AssassyN · Apr 22, 2003, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by Superchic[k]en:
Man I was hoping to post it first! Oh well... I guess I'm waiting for the 12 inch PB to be reved... even if a 900Mhz G3 is nothing to be sneased at... I sneeze at this, they had 1Ghz G3s avalible and just decided not to ship em, yeah of the laptop yeah right.

This update blows chunks.

LoL, as I've posted before, this updated doesn't suck for iBooks. A faster processor, nicer hard drive, and DDR Video RAM (was SDRAM before) are not anything to laugh at. Plus, if they made the iBook some insane supercomputer, no one would buy the 12" PB. Apple cannot kill their 12" PB market, thus they have to limit the iBook in some areas to keep those prices down on 'em.

willed · Apr 22, 2003, 10:35 AM

I guess I'm waiting for the 12 inch PB to be reved... even if a 900Mhz G3 is nothing to be sneased at... I sneeze at this, they had 1Ghz G3s avalible and just decided not to ship em, yeah of the laptop yeah right.

This update blows chunks. [/B]

Erm, hello? What was everyone expecting with this update? Every single update to the iceBook has been 100MHz faster + bigger HD. Also graphics have occasionally been upgraded, but can you really see the iBook having a 64MB graphics card yet?

Commodus · Apr 22, 2003, 10:58 AM

I'm thinking that this is probably much like the G3 iMac updates before the flat-panel iMac was introduced with a G4: they're mainly just trying to keep the lineup afloat before the major revision hits.

The main tip-off, in my mind, is the 900 MHz CPU. I'm sure that Apple would love to advertise a 1 GHz G4 iBook with a brand-new case design in the fall.

With that in mind, if you're a particular fan of the current iBook design and you're aching for an update (if you have an iBook 500, for example) you might want to buy now!

Krusty · Apr 22, 2003, 11:23 AM

Originally posted by pat++:
We won't see any update before october. They update products every 6 months.

Well, they updated the Ti powerbooks last Nov and the added the Alubooks just 2 months later .. which now coexist along side them. It's possible that a new form factor iBook could be released before Oct and exist alongside the current ones. Not saying its likely or that I believe it will happen ... but ... wasn't this supposed to be the "Year of the laptop " ?

sniffer · Apr 22, 2003, 12:36 PM

I think I'll stick with my 600 8mb rage another year at least.. This upgrade wasn't all that..

x3

Wake me at next major release..

jhunt5247 · Apr 22, 2003, 03:47 PM

I believe this is a pleasant update.

Speed bump, HD space bump, and video memory speed bump seems more than fair.

I have been planning on buying my wife a laptop for about a month now and I have been waiting for this update to occur in the iBook line. Now that it has, she will be getting a new iBook 900.

Peter · Apr 22, 2003, 04:06 PM

everyone was hyped up by all the rumours

Simon · Apr 22, 2003, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by AssassyN:
LoL, as I've posted before, this updated doesn't suck for iBooks. A faster processor, nicer hard drive, and DDR Video RAM (was SDRAM before) are not anything to laugh at.

I agree, but the last rev had DDR for the GPU as well. For SDRAM on the grapics chipset you have to go back one more rev...

iamnid · Apr 22, 2003, 05:58 PM

i don't know, I'm pleased with this update... it's exactly what thinksecret.com reported it would be last week so it's really no suprise.

Peter · Apr 22, 2003, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by iamnid:
i don't know, I'm pleased with this update... it's exactly what thinksecret.com reported it would be last week so it's really no suprise.

WOW think secret must be good, they predicted the most obvious update of the year! Everyone knew the iBooks weregoing to be updated, it was just when.

Ryan1524 · Apr 22, 2003, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
everyone was hyped up by all the rumours

heheh....exactly what i was thinking...
everybody's been expecting something huge (new 15" PB, new iPod, redesigned iBook, etc etc) that this update seemed like nothing.
personally, i think it's great, the 800 is now very affordable and the 900's gonna keep the iBook line in pace with everything else and keeping people happy for a while.

relax people...patience is a virtue

iamnid · Apr 22, 2003, 09:42 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
WOW think secret must be good, they predicted the most obvious update of the year! Everyone knew the iBooks weregoing to be updated, it was just when.

Don't be a jackass. I was merely saying that if you've been paying attention, you should not be let down by today's upgrade merely because it was so obvious.

Superchicken · Apr 23, 2003, 06:36 PM

My problem is that the iBook didn't get features even in it's highest end incarnations that are in the iMacs, IE air port extream! Not to mention blue tooth, bluetooth would be been convient as more perifferals become bluetooth capable and iBook users are gona be left behind in that option like the people who bought my iMac were with Firewire, yes you can use a dongle but those don't exactly look great and they stick out, an inside case option would not likely have taken up much space at all.

I dono 1Ghz was my hope and I don't think it was terribly unreasonable. When they're avalible why not just put them in! I grr at this!

wtmcgee · Apr 24, 2003, 12:58 AM

i'm so torn right now. i want an ibook so bad, but i have a nice 17" iMac right now, so a new computer isn't a huge priority. i just need a portable, and i want a mac.

you guys think i should wait until fall, and see what apple has up their sleeves then?

chipchen · Apr 24, 2003, 02:56 AM

new ibooks are indeed opaque white... all three... entry level, combo drive, and 14.1 inch... saw them at compusa today.

Silencer · Apr 24, 2003, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by wtmcgee:
i'm so torn right now. i want an ibook so bad, but i have a nice 17" iMac right now, so a new computer isn't a huge priority. i just need a portable, and i want a mac.

you guys think i should wait until fall, and see what apple has up their sleeves then?

If you have the will power to hold out i would personally do it. But I have been waiting to buy an iBook for 2 months already and I'm going to be buying the new 900mhz as soon as i can get my local apple center to get one.

Scooterboy · Apr 24, 2003, 01:12 PM

I'm not impressed with this update. At least not impressed enough to upgrade from my iBook 600. I was hoping for at least Airport Extreme, because that is one feature that cannot be added to an iBook without a PC Card slot. Bluetooth would have been nice, but the USB Bluetooth adapters are cheap and work well. I also was hoping for a GPU update as the ATi Radeon 7500 has been around for a while now, and with the Radeon 9600 showing up in PC's very soon, a Radeon 9000 would have been enough to convince me to update. As it is, if you want an Apple notebook with an up to date video chipset, you have to buy a 15" Titanium PowerBook or the 17" Al PowerBook (whose GPUs will be out of date very soon). I bought my 600 iBook with the Rage 128 Mobility 8MB VRAM GPU which was out of date then, and I won't buy another notebook with an out of date GPU again. So it's back to waiting again. Maybe if the PowerBook gets the Radeon 9600, I'll buy one, but I won't hold my breath.
That's not to dissuade anyone who doesn't yet have an iBook from getting one now. They are still the best ValueForMoney notebook out there.

Luca Rescigno · Apr 24, 2003, 07:52 PM

Originally posted by Simon:
I agree, but the last rev had DDR for the GPU as well. For SDRAM on the grapics chipset you have to go back one more rev...

Nope, if you look at the Apple specifications, you'll see that the new ones have "32 MB of DDR SDRAM" and the old ones have "16 MB or 32 MB of SDRAM."

Simon · Apr 25, 2003, 01:42 AM

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
Nope, if you look at the Apple specifications, you'll see that the new ones have "32 MB of DDR SDRAM" and the old ones have "16 MB or 32 MB of SDRAM."

No, please read the official Apple hardware developer notes: they're here.

They clearly say: Graphics IC The display controller is an ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 and includes 16 or 32 MB of graphics DDR SDRAM.

It's no big deal, but you shouldn't insist when the official docs state the contrary.

Luca Rescigno · Apr 25, 2003, 02:02 AM

Ah, well you got me there. The thing is, I know that "SDRAM" doesn't necessarily mean "SDR SDRAM" but according to their general specifications page (the one you get to if you go to http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html) the earlier ones have SDRAM and the new ones have DDR SDRAM. I assumed they would have been consistent in labeling them, especially since the 667 and 800 MHz DVI PowerBooks are labeled (in the general specifications I listed) as having DDR SDRAM.

I suppose the developer notes are probably more accurate. But it's strange that they have that inconsistency. Thanks for pointing it out.

Simon · Apr 25, 2003, 03:49 AM

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
I suppose the developer notes are probably more accurate. But it's strange that they have that inconsistency. Thanks for pointing it out.

No problem. They are indeed very inconsistent. Also on the spec pages of current hardware like apple.com/ibook/specs.html or apple.com/powerbook/specs.html where they tell your how many RPM PowerBook HD drives have, but not how many the iBook's have. The hardware dev notes are normally very accurate, but sometimes it takes them quite some time to post them even though the product is already at the stores...